don’t have the same ambitions.”
Rob held up his hands in surrender. “I didn’t say—”
“My husband, weasel lawyer that he is, managed to construct a settlement that benefited him while shafting me and his kids. I am our sole support. I’m going to be responsible for their college money. I’m responsible for my retirement income. And I have every right to be just as damn successful as I want to be.”
“Valerie.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Hush.” She opened her mouth to say something else, but he shook her slightly and she backed down. “I’m not attacking anything you’ve done. I admire your gumption and your achievements. So relax.”
“That’s not what it sounded like,” she mumbled, staring down at the ground.
“You didn’t listen—just went off half-cocked.”
“Sorry.” When she looked up at him, her big brown eyes had a suspicious shine to them, as if she’d fought back tears. “It’s been a hard couple of weeks.”
“I’m sure it has.” He still held her shoulders, and he really liked the feeling of having her this close, which was as good a reason as any to let go. After a moment’s struggle, he managed to step back, putting her out of reach. To be safe, he jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “So I have a suggestion. How about dinner out tonight?”
Her eyes widened. “I…” She swallowed. “I don’t think so, Rob. I mean, I don’t have anything to do with the kids.”
He grinned. “I like the way you think. But I’m suggesting we bring them with us.”
“With us? You mean, to a restaurant?”
“Yeah. I know a place they’ll really like.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “I do not want to eat at some fast-food joint.”
“Nope. Not fast, not a joint. Just the best place in New Skye for a laid-back, delicious dinner.” Ginny had come to stand at the door to the school, no doubt wondering what could be keeping him so long. He called across to her. “What do you think, Ginny? Dinner at the Carolina Diner tonight?”
His daughter pumped her right arm in the air. “All right!”
Rob looked at Valerie. “See? What more testimony do you need?”
She smiled, setting those cute dimples on display. “Lead the way. I’m suddenly very hungry.”
CHAPTER FOUR
VALERIE FOLLOWED Rob Warren’s shiny black van out of the school parking lot, reflecting that she had a perfectly good jar of spaghetti sauce at home on the pantry shelf. There really was no need to make the effort to go out, though he’d promised her a restaurant with good food and a casual atmosphere for the kids. She had to admit, relaxed would be a welcome change of pace in her life.
“Where are we going?” Connor piped up from the back seat. “McDonald’s?”
“I don’t think so. Mr. Warren says this place is one of a kind.”
“Do we have to go?” Grace sounded tired. “I’ve got a lot of homework.”
Valerie glanced into the rearview mirror, but Grace avoided her eyes. “We need to eat. This won’t take any longer than cooking our own dinner. And you can get to know Ginny a little better.”
“Great.” The one word was not enthusiastic.
“What’s wrong?”
“She’s in my class at school, Mom. And she’s…hard to talk to.”
“Her dad says she’s shy.”
“What’s wrong with her, anyway?” Connor wasted no time on tact. “She crippled or something?”
“Cerebral palsy is a birth defect,” Valerie explained. “Sometimes it happens when the baby is being born and doesn’t get enough oxygen to breathe. That causes problems with their nerves and muscles.”
“Can I catch it?”
“No, Connor. And I expect you to be polite while we’re at dinner—don’t stare, don’t ask questions. I’m sure that in most ways, Ginny is just an ordinary kid, like the two of you.”
She thought she heard Grace’s hmmph from the back seat, but she decided to ignore it. This dinner really was a good idea—as the new kids in school, both Grace and Connor were still trying to adjust and make friends. If Grace and Ginny could connect, that would be a start.
At the high school, the blinker on Rob Warren’s van signaled a right turn, and then an immediate left into the gravel parking lot of a bright yellow, concrete block building hung with a blue-and-white awning. The neon sign over the door identified Charlie’s Carolina Diner.
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